It will be interesting to see how The Incredible Hulk does this weekend. It’s been a good summer for Hollywood so far, with only one dire flop (Speed Racer) and one disappointment (Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian), which I saw last weekend and thought was quite good, myself).
Movie attendence feeds on itself, and hawking the film as part of an actual Marvel superhero brand pleases a geeky part of me. The reviews are solid but not terrific (75% at Rottentomatoes), but they’re as roughly as good as, say, the recent Indiana Jones movie, although obviously without that film’s advantages. Moreover, there’s been a two week gap since the last big action movie, and will be another such gap until the next one, Wanted. In all, I suspect it at the least very solid business opposite The Happening, as frankly it would surprise me if the latter did very much.
After that, it’s up to Marvel to get their asses going on their announced slate of Iron Man II and Thor for 2010. Reports are circulating that Marvel is threatening to go cheap and force Jon Favreau out of the director’s chair for the second Iron Man movie. Man, that would be a pisser if it is true. Even if the Hulk does well, this six-movie scheme remains a rocky enterprise, and with the Thor movie being the real gamble, you really need IMII to come strongly out of the gate. Marvel, pay Favreau what he wants.
By the way, regarding The Happening, while I am amused and pleased by The Incredible Hulk being called “the next Marvel superhero movie,” I am less impressed with The Happening being hawked as Shyamalan’s first ‘R’ rated featured. Is that really their big selling point? Meh. Someday Shyamalan will make another good movie, but this doesn’t look to be it, as it’s currently drawing a highly lame 27% positive at Rottentomates.
And while the director has *finally,* I guess, gotten away from the twist ending thing, but it looks like it’s a tad too late. After this one (probably) flops, he’s not going to have final cut until he hits it very big again, if ever. (Or else he’ll have to start making cheaper movies.) Even here, Paramount went in because India’s UTV is paying for half the film. So the studio’s downside is pretty small, given the film’s (in today’s terms) modest $57 million price tag. Even so, in the end The Incredible Hulk is likely to look a bigger bargain at its own comparatively meager $130 million budget.
